Mangaluru-Karkala road to be widened

The Dakshina Kannada district administration has given its approval for widening the national highway between Mangaluru and Karkala into a four-lane road with a width of 45 metres.
The decision was taken at a meeting presided over by district in-charge minister B Ramanath Rai at the office of the DK deputy commissioner yesterday, a release here said.
Theapproval was given to the plan of the highway with certainmodifications to the original draft.
National Highways Authority of India project director S P Somashekhar displayed the revised map of the proposed road, recommending under bridges at ten spots, overbridge at one spot and two huge overbridges at Moodbidri and Kaikamba.

Some changes for the convenience of general public had beenmade in the proposed road at places like Sanoor, Thodar, Mrattangady, Mijar, Kudupu and Yedapadavu, he told the meeting.
The proposed road construction was estimated to cost Rs 1,000 crore, he said, adding that Rs 20 crore would be required for every km. The works on the road wouldstart within six months.
The current initiative of building national highway onthis route is in place of the plan to widen the road that hadbeen drafted in 2009. The current plan had been envisaged considering future needs for a period of 30 to 40 years, he said.

City mayor Kavita Sanil, J R Lobo MLA and deputy commissioner K G Jagadeesh were among those present at the meeting.